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  “We will handle the Polistsiya. The stolen bike idea was one way to handle it, but there are many others. If you want to keep the bike that is fine.”

  “Why was he so mad then?" she asked. "He left in a hurry and seemed hurt.”

  “In the mother land, Polistsiya are criminals. He has never forgotten that. It’s hard for him to remember that here, they play by a rule book. Any time there is a rule book, there are ways to get around it.”

  “I still don’t understand why he was so mad,” she said.

  “My grandson likes you," he said. "It has been a long time since he could talk to someone. I am not always the best company. Besides, you are a beautiful woman.”

  “Thank you." Kandice blushed, and looked at her feet.

  Slava waved his hand, dismissing the comment. He wasn’t hitting on her, but it was flattering to hear him state her beauty in the same tone he might state the weather, as if her beauty were an undeniable fact. She found Lance attractive, but she hadn’t considered that he felt the same, or how it might affect his judgment.

  “Do you know when Lance will be back?”

  “He goes out in the morning and comes back for lunch. We have spent years together, and we both need space from one another.”

  “How often do you run into someone else? I mean, there have to be more of us out there, right?”

  “We know several families in Europe. They go back as far as our family, and for generations we have worked together. However, here in the states, we have only met a few people who can see as you do. We have yet to meet an established family.”

  “Really? How far back does your family go, then?" she asked. "Surely there are families here doing what you do.”

  “We can trace our ancestors that could see the Nechists back to 10th century. However, there are families in Europe who can trace their families back to before the fall of the Roman empire.”

  Kandice sat motionless. Slava looked out the window while she tried to process what he told her. It was surprising that there were families, thousands of years old, who knew of Aether Walkers.

  “How long have the Aether Walkers existed?”

  “They have been here as long as we have. Some think they were here before us, and that our ancestors were their prey.”

  “That’s absurd," she said. "We’re not animals. We can’t be prey.”

  “Look at history. Given the age of the earth, we are rather new. However, we have come far in a short time.”

  “If they were here first, how would we have grown to a large population?”

  “This is a view that some hold. There is not a record of our history that far back.”

  Kandice was in awe of the magnitude of the Aether Walker’s history. Her questions were becoming invasive to his privacy. There were still so many to ask, but she needed to learn the prying lesson. The emotional outburst after prying too much with Lance still stung. Her phone showed eleven-thirty. The awkward silence that developed between Slava and her was too much.

  After about a minute she stood up. “Please tell Lance I stopped by.”

  “Kandice, please, do not leave. He will be here soon.”

  “It’s okay," she said. "Tell Lance to call me.”

  Slava stood up. “Allow me to walk you out.”

  He insisted on following her and holding the door open as she left. When she pulled out of the driveway, he nodded to her and waited for her to reach the stop sign before going back inside.

  Her abrupt departure might have been uncalled for, but the atmosphere of the living room had become too uncomfortable to bare. Slava was a kind gentleman, but they had only known each other for a short time.

  Memories rushed back of her mom forcing her to make friends as a child. It was impossible for Kandice to introduce herself without feeling like an outsider. It was easier to assume others felt the same as her and preferred to be left alone than to make friends.

  Chapter Three

  Saturday, September 3rd

  Kandice woke startled Saturday morning to the sound of her new phone ringing.

  “Hello?”

  “Did I wake you?” Lance's voice echoed out of her phone, causing her to pull the phone away from her ear.

  “No." She paused to shake the sleepiness from her voice. "It’s okay. What’s up?”

  “Can you meet? Slava said you stopped by yesterday. We have some things to discuss.”

  “Where do you want to meet?” she asked.

  “You pick.”

  She debated on her house or his before responding. “I can come back over there.”

  “That works. Can you be here in an hour?”

  “Let me get dressed.” Kandice rolled out from under the covers into a sitting position. “I’ll head over there right after.”

  “See you then.” Lance hung up.

  The phone also had a text message, and a missed call.

  Lance: Can you meet?

  Kandice tried to rub the sleep out of her eyes. The long nights and early mornings wore on her. I'm too young to feel this old.

  After a quick shower and putting her hair up in a towel to dry it took fifteen minutes for her to decide on an outfit. Kandice wanted something that could accentuate her curves, but not scream ‘Open for Business’.

  Her hair was still damp, so it would be a messy bun kind of day. Blake was still asleep, and her aunt was in the living room as she made her way downstairs. Kandice said hi and bye as she went into the garage for her moped. As the garage door closed, her aunt stood at the front door. There was no point in stopping to chat, it would only end in an interrogation. Kandice was ready to accept any apartment at that point, just to not have to deal with her aunt.

  The small truck was in the driveway, next to the Honda, when she pulled up to her old house. It was surprising to see the same cars. She assumed they hunted 24/7 and traded out often. But they must only trade out the cars after they kill an Aether Walker.

  Before she could knock, Slava opened the door. “Hello Kandice. Please, come in. Lance is in the living room.”

  “Thank you,” Kandice said, and walked in to her usual seat.

  “Can I offer you a drink?” Lance asked.

  “No, thank you. No offense, but you two seem to drink a lot.”

  “Yes,” Slava said. “It helps with the pains.”

  “What pains?”

  “When I change,” Lance began. “It drains my energy. Sometimes, if I stay changed for too long, I’ll lose consciousness. The vodka helps fortify us against it.”

  “So, you’re just drunk all the time?” Their alcohol consumption was becoming worrisome, with each visit the tension built in her chest more. If they would be as bad as her father, there would not be a way for her to stay friends.

  "Not exactly," Lance said. "It’s true we have alcohol in us all the time, but, it doesn’t affect us the same as others. Slava can never change again. It took too much out of him. We use the vodka to prolong the effects. Without it, I would end up like Slava much sooner."

  Kandice pondered his words. True alcoholics justify their drinking to themselves and others with ease. Her father had justifications that would make an unknowing person understand his need for it. But being his daughter Kandice wasn’t fooled. Something about Lance and Slava assured her they were genuine in their reason.

  “Will I have to drink to change?” she asked.

  “We do not know if we will teach you yet,” Slava said.

  “What my grandfather means." Lance gave Salva a sturn look. "Is we still have questions for you before we can trust you. Also, there is always the chance you won’t be able to change. Not everyone can.”

  “At some point, we will have to agree to trust each other. I will not stop fighting, this is my life.” Kandice tried to stay calm. The, do we trust each other, dance was over played. They needed each other, it was time to agree to trust each other. If they didn’t move past this, it would set her back. She needed to fight.

  Slava nodded and p
ulled out a folder from inside the coffee table. He laid it out next to the vodka. “This is our target.” There was a news clipping of the new mayor, and several hand-written letters. “This man brought us here.”

  “We’ve been tracking Aether Walkers across the US for some time,” Lance said. “Austin seems to have a large influx of them. We believe it’s all due to this man.” He pointed his finger onto the newspaper.

  “I have seen his true form,” Slava said. “He is the largest werewolf I have ever seen. If he were in this room, his head would be through the ceiling.”

  “Wow,” Kandice said. “I had never seen an oversized Aether Walker until the first night I met y’all.”

  “They’re extremely rare,” Lance said. “But they pop up in large cities from time to time.”

  “Due to his high profile,” Slava said. “We will have to plan an attack. We cannot kill him on the street. We will have to infiltrate his home. This means neutralizing his protection.”

  “You can’t do that!” Kandice protested. “You can’t kill innocent people.”

  “We won’t,” Lance reassured her. “We still have to find his house. While it will have a security system and armed guards, we suspect that many of his armed guards will be fellow Aether Walkers. They tend to serve more powerful ones.”

  “But what if they’re humans? Just doing their job, not knowing what he is? I can’t believe our mayor is an Aether Walker.” She sat back against the couch and glanced up at the ceiling.

  “She is not ready,” Slava said.

  “Once she sees his true form she will be.” Lance told Slava before turning back to Kandice. “I don’t expect you to take our word for it. You will need to see it with your own eyes, but for the time being, we need to work under the assumption that you believe us.”

  Lance poured a glass of vodka and handed it to Kandice. “You look like you could use a drink.”

  Kandice drank it without hesitation. Her own drinking was becoming excessive; the past weeks alcohol consumption seemed like more than her lifetime consumption before meeting Lance. The slight burn of the vodka distracted her mind, it was too much to process. It had been hard to come to terms with Aether Walkers, but now, to discover they were this powerful. It scared her to know they have been around as long as humanity. But it was more horrifying to discover they could also hold positions of power.

  Kandice stood up. “I need some air.”

  Out on her old patio, it took several deep breaths to process all the information. A flock of birds flying overhead caught her attention. It would be nice to fly away from her problems, but it was better to face them. They would not disappear; the forum post had shown her that much.

  “Do you feel up to talking again?” Lance asked once she came back inside.

  “Yeah,” she said, and took her seat on the sofa. “Last I remember, we were discussing the mayor’s bodyguards. So, there will be a lot of bodyguards? How many do you think?”

  “Yes, we predict four or five," Lance said. "We think we’ve found his house, but need to scout it out and make sure. That’s the real reason I called. Slava is not up to long stakeouts. I hoped you would join me.”

  “I don’t know, I still find it hard to believe the mayor could be an Aether Walker.” Kandice shook her head, it was just so crazy.

  “If you come, you can see for yourself.” Lance said.

  “Okay," she said. "But I need time to think about this. I never considered they could be in positions of power. If the mayor can be one, who else could?”

  “That’s the biggest problem," Lance said. "Political figures are rarely seen in person. On the TV or in photos they look like a normal human. We have to see them in person to see the difference.”

  “That’s a relief to hear," Kandice said. "I’ve taken photos before, and they always looked normal on film. I was wondering if it was just me.”

  “No," Lance said. "It’s one of the weird aspects of their body makeup. I think we’re able to see the parallel dimension they exist in. Slava disagrees.”

  “Why?” Kandice said.

  Slava answered for himself. “I have seen many things. Parallel dimensions are science fiction. Science can't explain these creatures. They have existed long before mankind invented science.”

  “Slava doesn’t believe in science,” Lance mocked. “He holds to old religious beliefs and thinks they're demons.”

  “They are,” Slava insisted. “The bible describes such creatures.”

  “Yes, and it also tells us that men used to live to be three hundred, and that there was once a great flood that covered the entire world. The text is so old that humans still lived in tribes. It can teach us, but it’s not facts.”

  Slava raised his voice and shouted in Russian and Lance responded in Russian. They argued for a minute, and then Kandice heard Lance say her name, and Slava left into his room.

  “I’m sorry about that,” Lance apologized. “My grandfather and his parents faced persecution for holding onto their religious views, and it’s made him defensive.”

  “I see,” Kandice said.

  “Don’t think I have anything against religion, or any faith for that matter. I’m just more skeptical about the texts than my grandfather.”

  “Oh yeah. I’m the same way." Kandice nodded along with her words. "My aunt keeps trying to get me to go to church with her, but I’m not sure I believe. I figure there’s something greater than us, but I don’t know what it is.”

  “Exactly!”

  They both sat in silence. It was comforting to have found another skeptic that wasn't outright confrontational towards it. In high school, there were strong advocates for atheism, who viewed all religions as dangerous. Religion always seemed like a good thing to her for those who believed. Though, there hadn’t been a religion yet that made sense to her enough to believe.

  “I need to go.” Her attempt at staying away was only delaying the confrontation regarding her departure this morning. “When do you want to do the stakeout?”

  “Can you sleep today and meet up tonight?” he asked. “Once we’re there, we need to stay until we see him. We’ll use Slava’s car. It’s more comfortable than the truck, and your bike would stand out too much.”

  “Sure. Just call me, and I’ll meet you here?”

  “Sounds like a plan.” He said.

  Lance followed her to the door and held it open. As she was walking out, he stopped her by the shoulder. His eyes were beautiful up close, the blue was vibrant and deep. There was a momentary lapse in her thoughts.

  “Are you okay to drive?” he asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “Okay. Take care, Kandice. I’ll see you tonight.”

  “Later.”

  He smiled, and his teeth shimmered in the bright sun. Everything about him made her mind trail to places it hadn’t been before. The developing feelings made her nervous. If he had been in her college class, he would have been someone to pursue. But under the circumstances, the desire could just be from what he represented to her.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  It was around noon when Kandice got home, and food was all she could think about. Her aunt was still in the living room watching TV when she came in through the garage. It was odd since Jackie spent the weekends out with friends.

  Jackie turned the TV off when Kandice walked in. “Kandice,” she began. “Where were you this morning?”

  “I was at a friend’s house,” Kandice said, pausing for a moment before continuing. “We were doing homework.”

  “You could have said something. I worried, and I know you saw me as you drove off.”

  “Sorry.” Kandice hoped to end the conversation.

  “Well in the future, you had better let me know where you are going.”

  Kandice walked into the kitchen without responding and made herself a sandwich. She wanted to eat and get back in bed. They had a long night ahead of them, and it wouldn’t be possible without food and sleep.

  Her aunt walked
into the kitchen after her. “How is school going?”

  “Fine,” Kandice answered.

  “What does that mean? Have you had any assignments yet?”

  “A few.”

  “Young lady, put down the knife and talk with me. I want to know you’re doing well in college and doing what you’re supposed to.”

  “Jackie,” Kandice started. She was becoming annoyed, but forced herself to stay calm. “Just leave me alone. I’m hungry and tired. I need to get some sleep.”

  “Don’t take that tone with me. You will show me the respect I deserve.”

  “Yes, mam,” she said, as perky as possible. “College is great. I’ve gotten all A’s so far.”

  Kandice finished up making her sandwich, not listening to Jackie go on and on about attitude and responsibility. She wrapped the sandwich in a paper towel and went upstairs. Jackie tried to tell her not to walk away from her, but Kandice didn’t care.

  Blake’s door was open. He sat at his computer. She stopped at his doorway and got his attention.

  “Do you have time to talk?” she asked.

  “Sure,” he said. “Just let me finish this dungeon first.”

  Kandice pointed to her sandwich. “No worries.”

  She walked into her bedroom, leaving the door open, and heard her aunt say they would talk about her attitude later.

  Kandice pulled open her laptop and checked her email. There was a new one from her apartment locater. He mentioned that he found three apartments with openings toward the end of the month that were only fifty dollars more a month than her budget.

  In the long run, it would be better to rent a one bedroom instead of an efficiency so Blake could move in if he wanted. With their combined income they could save money, compared to what they were paying Jackie. Blake wouldn't stay here once he realized moving out would mean fewer rules. Now that he knew and accepted the truth about the Aether Walkers, she hoped dealing with the real world would be easier.

  The light was coming in through the cracks in the blinds, causing the room to have a soft glow. After her first bite of the sandwich, her hunger took over, and she scarfed it down.